Enchanted Rose Studio

It's Not About The Glamour, It's About The Function

2011-04-10T02:56:00.000-07:00

Long time no see. I am so sorry for taking so long to post. I love you all so much and am sorry that I've been a bad bad blogger the past few months. It's been beyond hetic around here for me.

I have so much I want to post about and have been busy trying to get things in order.

First off, my daughter and SIL moved out, so I moved into the master.

I know, the wall color is beyond hideous! And ignore my birthday balloon (photo taken in January). Oh and ignore me leaning against the bathroom door trying to be inconspicuous. I would absolutely love to paint those awful walls when time permits.

But, it's so much bigger than my former (tiny) 9' x 9' bedroom; I posted about it for Pink Saturday here.

Which became a storage room (for about a month)....then I turned it into my work studio...

not a show place but works for me. I'm thrilled to have the work space! It is so wonderful to have my materials right there, instead of digging through boxes in the garage.

I managed to squeeze in a narrow desk and it works just fine!

As a result of my new work space, I've been busy finishing up some very pretty pieces....

like the mate to the side table I finished over a year ago..

couple of birdhouses

a pretty in pink, green n white shelf...

among other projects. Those are the "in progress" photos I took a few weeks ago, I'll post the finish pieces as soon as I can grout them all. I promise ;)

But, that's not the point of this post. ha!

I mention that this space was used for storage. Well, now that I've made it a work space for me I need to thin things out a bit.

This is difficult for me. When I moved from 3800 sq.ft. down to 1350 sq.ft. I sold so many things. It's clear to me that I still have too much stuff!

I am very fond of these items, but I realize that I just can't be keep them all. I really had to pare down, otherwise they just sits in the garage in boxes, lonely and unappreciated!

Here's a peek at some of the lovely items I'll be listing in either my etsy shop or ebay during the next few days....

Even looking at the photos now, I don't want to let them go. But I seriously do not have the space. My hope is that someone will cherish and enjoy these pieces as much as I have.

So there you have it....I've loads to do and loads I want to share with you!

If there is something you want to know more about, feel free to email me @ enchantedrosestudio@yahoo.com

I'm so glad you didn't forget me! Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the time leave me your sweet thoughts!

Have a lovely, safe, warm (and dry) week!

Cheers!

I'm linking this post up with the following fabulous hosts:

Broken China Mosaic Birdhouses and Design Inspiration

2011-02-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hellooooooo bloggers and bloggerettes! Lovely to see you! So sweet of you to stop by for a visit! I hope that all is well (and warmer) in your world! It's been raining so much here in the SF peninsula, might need to build a boat! ha!

There is always a lot of talk about inspiration here in the blogosphere. We also have lots of before and after post.

For this post, I thought it would be fun to show you the inspiration behind the broken china mosaics I created.

I was looking for some inspiration for my mama's 75th birthday present (she will turn 85 this year). Since we are Russians, I thought it would be fun to create a design in the spirit of Russia.

Here, the inspirations...

The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia

and

Russian dachas

the birdhouses resulting from the inspirations....

Mama's Winter Palace Birdhouse

and Mama's Dacha

They sit on the pass-through from the dining room to the kitchen.

The perfect spot because we can enjoy the front and the back of the design.

It's hard for me to be impartial, I know the flaws and what I'd like to do differently. Even still, they are very pretty to look at. Just like their respective inspirations.

I have posted some tutorials at my How To blog for creating vintage china mosaics here.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the time leave me your sweet thoughts!

Have a lovely, safe, warm (and dry) weekend!

Cheers!

I'm linking this post up with the following fabulous hosts:

Being Creative @ Gorgeous and Fun Things

109th Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on The Porch

Wreath much? The tale of a faux rosewood wreath (aka paper rose wreath)

2011-02-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

Greeting! So sweet of you to stop by for a visit! I hope that all is well (and warmer) in your world!

Do you have a cuppa and a comfy seat? You know my post are photo filled ha! But I must confess, I love spending the time with you!

Let's begin with this interesting little diddy. According to Dictionary.com, a glutton for punishment is: someone who habitually takes on burdensome or unplesant tasks or unreasonable amounts of work.

Hmmmmm now why does that sound somewhat familar? ha! Let's see shall we?

First, credit where credit is due!

Most of you may be familar with Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming and her post and tutorial about her stunning faux rosewood wreath here.

I was so inspired by Stephanie's gorgeous creation! (Thanks so much for sharing with us Stephanie!)

Of couse, like most things I do, I always add my bit of a twist. ha!

Some of you may recall that I left a little teaser in my last post about it.

I believe this is where we left off....

those paper rosettes (plus another 150+ more) became this....

Hello Gorgeous!

I'll post a more in-depth tutorial about how I did it in my "How To blog" soon. For now, here is the shortened version...

I covered a round 10" styro wreath form with torn strips...

filled the wreath form with the rosettes...

I started applying the rosettes without any pattern in mind as I was going to cover all sides.

This is how much (or how little) the 80 rosettes covered.

After making another 150+...

I tied the last of my favorite two-toned ribbon...

Normally I would have only covered the front and sides but this one was going on the mirror....

So much prettier than having a plain backside showing..yes?! ha!

You would think I would just sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. But nooooooo not me!

NOTE: This is where the definition I posted at the beginning might apply ha!

I wanted to make one for Valentine's Day. Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I rolled up 100 of these...

See the red ink? It ends up looking pink, which is exactly what I wanted.

...covered a 12" heart shaped styro wreath form and first applied the rosettes to the inner and outter sides....

Then started filling in. I'm afraid that the 100 rosettes only covered about half

after making another 150+

can you say soooo pretty in pink?!

I added the pink satin ribbon to kick the sweetness up a notch ha!

Don't you just love it?!

Here is a look at the finished back....

I must reiterate that these are such a pain in the patootie to make. As anyone who has created one of these will tell you they are very labor intensive!

But so darn worth it!

This pink heart wreath did me in! After rolling what seems like millions of these...

I ended up with....

OUCHIES!

As they say...the price of beauty! ha! So darn worth it!

Originally I was going to make a couple to sell in my Etsy shop. I haven't because I don't know how much to ask for one. Friends and family have offered a range of $100-$150 being a fair price because of all the work and time involved.

What do you think? I know most of us all DIY, but if you couldn't, for whatever reason make one and wanted to buy one, what do you think would be fair? I've truly not a clue!

Needless to say, I'm just thrilled that I finally finished both. And I personally feel that DIY is just a nice way of saying Glutton for Punishment! ha! Maybe we should start a club? Or at the very least seek therapy....yes? ;)

Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the time leave me your sweet thoughts! You are a darling!!

Cheers!

I'm linking this post up with the following fabulous hosts:

Faux Hydrangea Wreath with a Twist

2011-01-25T12:52:00.001-08:00

Greetings snow bunnies and non-snow bound bloggerettes! I am so ready for spring, aren't you?! The weather here in the SF peninsula has been amazing around 75 degrees. Poifect California weather! See, this is the reason we put up with the earthquakes, insane state politics and high prices ha!

I'm sure you seen faux hydrangea wreath all around the web. I thought I'd make one...with a little twist of my own...

My twist, adding some bling to the centers

doesn't show up too well in the photos, but each center has a color matching rhinestone.

I first wrapped a 10" styrofoam wreath with purple satin ribbon (here is a view of the back)

filled it with faux hydrangea blossoms, added the rhinestones, and used a sheer puple ribbon for hanging. Love it!

It now hangs in my beautiful niece's (Tween Heart's mommy) home.

I have a few more bunches, but want to mix some flowers in for something different.

Before I get to doing that, I've been laboring over another project. One that I'm beginning to regret having started. Here is a little teaser

That is only half of what I need *sigh*

Just another labor intensive project....did I mention it is very labor intensive? lol!

I'll post the finished wreath if when it's finished. ha!

Thanks so much for stopping by! It is always so lovely to read your comments!

Linking post with:

Cheers!

Hearts Wreaths For Valentine

2011-01-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

Lovely of you to stop by! Hope all is well in your world!

We celebrated orthodox Christmas this past friday marking the end of the holiday season!

I always find packing away Christmas takes much longer than brining it all out. I dread it, don't you?!

I tucked away my Christmas header and did a little tweaking here in my blog.

Since valentine is just around the corner, I thought I'd share some of my heart wreathss I recently finished.

I just love hearts, don't you?

I made this pretty in pink heart wreath with vintage pink buttons and added some faux pink gems for some sparkle...

as well as this one in the perfect valentine red....

I'm finishing up this multi-colored rhinestone one (custom order)...

as you can see I need to add the bow on the top, what you don't see is the back needs just a few more to finish it up.

I completely covered these all around and must add that they are a pain to do. They take forever to make! Could it be I'm too ~~anal~~ pedantic? I just want it as tight fitting and perfect as possible. Maybe I should seek a cure....help! ha!

My glittered edged book heart wreaths are my newest passion. They are so darn pretty! I am a sucker for a bit of sparkle. It gives them life!

this pink edged heart sparkels away in my bedroom....

I need to glitter up some florettes edges with red glitter. I think it would be poifect for Valentine's Day. I promise to post pics when it's finished.

I added a new slide show of my hearts. You can find it near the top of my side bar thataway ha!

Thanks so much for stopping by! It is always a thrill to hear from you!

Linking up with....

Cheers!

My (Late) Holiday Decor Post ~ Last Post for 2010!

2010-12-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Have a fun party to go to? Or perhaps you are having a quite evening in? Or maybe you are reading this post with a bit of a holiday hangover...yes? ha!

This is my last post for 2010, so I thought I would share my holiday decorating.

Here is where I left you....

...and this is the finished tree....

Remember I wanted to do a white christmas, starting with my mantel....

but since my darling mama wanted a traditional one, I changed it to....

I had some helpers....

a supervisor.....

they hung up their hats and got busy...

we fluffed the pillows...

checked the to do list

added some sparkle....

hung the ornaments with care...

and voila!

I did get some of the white I wanted, the dining room is all about the white, silver and gold...

In case you didn't notice all the ballerinas going on here, I did a theme inspired by the Nutcracker Ballet.

So do share, were you on the naughty or nice list...or the nice and naughty list? ha!

Thank you so much for visiting me! You are a darling for dropping by!

Wishing you and yours a very safe and Happy New Year!

Cheers!

I'm partying with the following fabulous hosts!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

2010-12-25T02:04:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas darlings!

So sorry I've not posted but it's been more hetic than the norm!

It's early Christmas morning (1 a.m.) and I wanted to say Merry Christmas to you!

Have you been naughty or nice? ;)

I'm be posting after the New Year.

Hope you and your loved ones are safe, warm and having a lovely holiday!

See you next year!

Cheers!

Dazzling Holiday Banners and Glitter glitter Every Where.....

2010-12-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

Hellooooo darlings! So sweet of you to drop by!

Holy Mackanolie! Is time flying by for you too? I desperately need it to slowwwww down a bit!

I'm no where near getting any holiday decorating done. Been much to busy with other things...such as....

The pink glittery ones are for a custom order, nursery rhymes with soft pink glittery edges.

It came out soooo pretty!

I also had a custom order (via email) for a christmas and a new year banner, hence the silver glitter florettes.

The sheet music is Auld Lang Syne. (how appropriate ha!)

One side, Joyeux Noel and the other, Bonne Annee. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to snap a photo before I shipped it off, but I do have pictures of this one to share.....

I just listed it on in my Etsy shop. I will be offering a few more, in french and english versions...

Not enought time so I'm only making a few, so grab em while I got em ha!

While I was at it, I made up another adorable banner...I can't show all of it because the customer hasn't received it yet (it's a surprise)...

I really wanted to do all white and silver for this holiday, but mama wants a tree and traditional holiday decor. What mama wants, mama gets! ha! She's 84, she's entitled to call the shots.

This is as far as I got yesterday.

Now I need to change my vision of white and silver to more traditional colors for the mantel. c'est la vie

I've seen so many lovely decorations going on in the blogosphere! I am so jealous you clever people got an early jump on it!

So tell me, whose's been naught and who's been nice? ha!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

If I don't get a chance to see you til next year, I'm sending you big hugs and smoochies and wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Linking up with:

Cheers!

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT

2010-12-07T05:09:00.000-08:00

Lovely of you to stop by! I hope you and your loved ones had a lovely Thanksgiving and hope you didn't get trampled during Black Friday!

I know it's been a few days since my last post. So sorry! So much going on, my darling daughter and SIL moved to a townhouse across the bay; so this place was turned upside down and of course all during the week of Thanksgiving (crikey!). Between making a few trips over and back and preparing the turkey feast, it's been a bit frantic.

Yeppers, I managed to cook a 20+ pound turkey and all the fixins in my teeny tiny kitchen ha!

It's a juggling act; organization is an absolute must or it's disaster! ha!

Now that they are setteled into their new place, I've been working on getting this place back in order and taking the opportunity to reorganize things. It's amazing how much more storage I've gained! Hallelujah!

I've also been enjoying all the wonderful holiday decorating that's been going on here in our blogosphere! It's like Santa's elves went bananas! ha!

So I've tried to get everything in order for the linkie parties. I wanted to feature my reindeer; you remember the one I painted white and silver leaf'ed the antlers....yes?

I added my white star full of sparkles

me likey so far....then added a few of these...

as you can see, I've got a white/silver/crystal theme going on here.

and that's as far as I got. ha!

I promise to post it when I'm finished! Til then, just imaging a fabulous santa in white, chandelier crystal drops and swags of crystals and white glass pearls.

A white faux garland would be great or maybe I'll spray paint some faux snow on the evergreen ones I have. I've seen some of you do that and I am really loving it!

Since I'm reorganizing, I came to realize that I HAVE TOOOOOO MUCH STUFF! I need to thin out some things, so I'm going to be putting the more shippable items up for grabs in my etsy shop. As far as the non-shippable, me have no idea. (Garage sale not possible here). But I'll worry about that after the holidays!

Speaking of my etsy, (warning! warning! shameless self promo approaching!)

I just added these two tassels I made just for the holidays....

Oh yes, and I did get an early christmas present

... but that's for the next post! ha! ;)

Until then, thanks so much for stopping by! Don't forget to take a little time for yourself during this most hetic time! Oh!...and if you were brave enough to tackle Black Friday, I'd love to hear about your incredible deal!

Stay safe and warm!

Cheers!

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY! PRETTY IN PINKS HOLIDAY WREATHS TO SHARE!

2010-11-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

PEACOCK SILVER LEAF OR SPRAY PAINT REVEAL AND SOME BEAUTIFUL PAINTED FURNITURE

2010-11-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

Time to reveal how I transformed the peacock. *drumroll*

Tahhh Dahhh

I am thoroughly thrilled with how it turned out. Instead of laboring for hours applying little sheets silver leaf, it took only a few minutes to spray paint!

For those of you who know me, chances are I would have silver leaf'ed it. But I thought I'd give it a chance and spray paint it; if the spray turned out yucky, I probably would have silver leaf'ed it!

I don't doubt it is becuse of all the detail of the peacock that it turned out so well.

If it were completely smooth it probably wouldn't look like silver leaf. I'm just saying! ha!

Thanks again to everyone who participated in my poll. We all learned something for sure! ;) *big hugs*

While we are on the subject of painted things....

I am completely obsessed with Somerset Bay's furnishing! I first learned of Someset Bay Home while visiting the inspiring blog by the fabulous Kate @ Centsational Girl. (So sorry Kate, I couldn't find that particular post to put in a direct link!)

If you aren't familar with Somerset Bay Home, you so must check out their website! I drool all over my keyboard each time I visit!!

How stunning is this Monterey Bureau Bookcase in Vanilla Bean?!!

or this fabulous Lake Norman Breakfront painted in Truffle with Vanilla Bean interior! (don't you just love the names of their paint colors?!)...

Now this one is called Little Washington Dresser in Creme Brulee; I wonder if that was an error because it's definitely what I'd call a sideboard with hutch...

I so want the Martha's Vineyard chest in their Cotton Candy for my bedside chest!

or would be perfectly happy with the Harker's Island Serpertine chest in cotton candy...

how gorgeous is this Camden Display Case in their Key Lime Pie with Vanilla Bean interior?!

and look at this charming little drop leaf table they call the Moorehead Flip Top in Jelly Bean Green...

and who wouldn't love this Pinehurst Double Bench in Creme Brulee at the foot of their bed?!...

*sighing and drooling* ha!

Well, one day I was surfing on craigslist and lookie lookie what I found!

Sorry about the blurry photo, it's the only one I have so far where the pieces are together!

Far from a Somerset Bay original, BUT...it has the nice cutout detail trim along the top and bottom, plus the two cubboard doors. It's got potential...yes?!

It's been sitting in the garage and I will probably get it going in the spring. I promise to keep you posted!

In the meantime, cover your keyboard with plastic and go visit Somerset Bay's site for more amazing pieces here!

Photo Credit: Someset Bay Home.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a paid advertising nor am I being compensated in any way for posting about Somerset Bay Home!

Cheers!

WHADDA YA THINK?! MY PEACOCK WANTS TO KNOW!

2010-11-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

Greetings! So lovely of you to stop by!

I need your help with a scientific test! Nah, just kidding, but how about a bit of fun though! I do hope you will participate *batting eyelashes* ;)

I picked up this sad, very blasé peacock a while back.

I saw the potential but couldn't decide which way I wanted to go to achieve my vision.

I could use this...

or this

I've been (slowly) applying silver leaf to this horsey head

and really like the results so far.

Here are a pair of lamps and a frame I spray painted metallic silver.

I was very pleased with the results.

So here is my peacock today...

From very blasé to olay...yes!?

Yep, I bought two. Really helps with the before and afters...no? ha! Actually, I'm thinking of painting the other one white with a bit of antiquing, but that's for another post ha!

So then, which product did I use? Well darling, that's where you come in! I'd like it very much if you would vote which on you think it is.

I am NOT doing this for any corporation or being paid to do this; notice I've not used the products names or manufacturers in text. I am doing this purely to share the result with all of you.

Here's a few more visuals to aid you...

The poll is located at the top of my side margin. The poll ends on Wednesday, November 17th. I will reveal the method to my madness on Thrusday, November 18th post.

It will be interesting to see what everyone decided. Even though you are making your judgement via photos, those who have seen the peacock in person had a bit of trouble deciding.

Thank you so much for participating! You are a darling!

FYI, this is the primer I use under the silver leaf for the horsey project and for the metallic spray paint too. I didn't use any primer on the peacock since it was already a nice dark grey!

I'm linked up with:

Stay safe and warm!

Cheers!

HOW TO ~ BOOK PAGE SHIMMERING WREATH USING PUNCH OUT FLORETTES

2010-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Hello you! I hope this post finds you and your loved ones safe and warm!

As I promised, here is the step-by-step tutorial for creating a shimmering book page wreath using punch out florettes!

These wreaths are dazzling! There is so much to love about this type of wreath (plus you are recycling ha!)! I could go on for ages about how stunning these are, but maybe you should just make one...yes?!

Supplies needed:

Wreath form (any shape you desire)
Paper Punch (florette) I used a 3.5" punch
Book Pages (approximately 150)
Glue gun & glue sticks(low temp saves burned fingers)
Glitter* - any type works
Glue or glitter glue* (If you want a very subtle edge of glitter, then glitter glue alone will be fine.
Sewing Pins

*If you want a very subtle edge of glitter, than glitter glue alone will be fine.

Considerations before you begin:

You will need to dry the glittered edge florettes before you apply them onto the stryo wreath form; therefore, you will need a place to dry the florettes where smearing and smuging won't be a problem.

I use sewing pins and a styrofoam board to dry my florettes. I keep the boards vertical and the pins keep the florette from resting against the board.

The glitter gets EVERYWHERE.

Using newspaper or plastic sheeting to cover rugs/floors/carpeting will be very useful in clean up.

CREATING FLORETTS:

Tear full pages out of book paying special attention to both sides of the pages.

Punch out florettes from book pages; you should be able to get two (2) florettes per page.

You should yield two (2) florettes per page

Add glitter to the edges of florettes by dipping the edge of the florette in the glue (or glitter glue)

then roll the wet edge in the glitter

Sorry, I forgot to take the photos when I was glitzing up the florettes with silver!

Allow the florette edges to dry (approximately 3-6 hrs.)

Cover wreath form with book pages. Tear out a full page, then tear the page into smaller strips. (I use a ruler to guide the tear of each strip)

Take care to glue the ends together on the SAME side of the wreath

Slightly overlap each subsequent strip

Again, be sure to glue the strip on the same side of the wreath.

The side with glued edges to be covered by the florettes

This is the non-glued seams side that will be the back of the finished wreath.

Applying Florettes

Gently fold florette in half WITHOUT creasing the folded edge.

I use the end of a pen to accomplish this. So very high-tech! ha!

Then fold once more taking care not to crease the fold

Next, crush the pointed tip and apply to wreath form with a small amount of glue from your glue gun.

Apply the glue to the crushed tip and set in place.

Continue applying florettes until covered.

At this point, you can apply as many as you like. This 12" wreath form needed about 250 florettes

This 12" wreath form, 120 florettes

The fewer florettes the more visible the words will be.

After having made several, I prefer to lay the wreath form flat on the table and apply the floretttes to the inside and outter edge of the wreath form first. The table acts as my guide to prevent me from scrunching the florette against it.

This way the wreath will be flat against the wall when you hang it.

Last step! Create a hanger by gluing a strip of decorative ribbon and a sewing pin.

I like the bright collored tip on the pin, makes it easier to see when you are trying to hang it!

There you have it! You can use any color glitter, you can make one for the holidays, add decorative ribbon and bows, the possibilities are endless!

Using a 12" styro wreath form with 3.5" florettes will give you a 16" wreath.

Here are a few others I have made...

Have fun with it! Please do let me know when you make one! I'd love to see it!

Thanks so much for stopping by! It is always a thrill for me to read your wonderful comments!

I'm linking up with these fabulous host! Be sure to view the other fabulous posts!

Frugalicious Friday @

Cheers!

FABULOUS FINDS! BALLARD DESIGN CLOCK, LAMP WITH BURLAP FRENCH SCRIPT LAMPSHADE WOOHOO!

2010-11-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings! So lovely of you to come by! I hope all is well in your world! I wanted to share some fabulous finds I was lucky enough to come across.

My sister loved this Ballard Designs Alexander Martinot 30" clock $(249.00).

It's currently on sale for $229.00 at Ballard Design here.

Guess what I found on craigslist for $20.00!!

Yeppers! The same 30" wall clock! *happy dance*!

My sister was doing the happy dance too, it was her B-day present!

She was selling it cheap because the motor burnt out. I took it to our local clock repair shop and they put a german made motore for $50.00, plus they guarantee it for one year! The original motor is from japan and can't really handle the large brass arms so it burns out.

My next great find was a lamp with a french script burlap lampshade....

for $29.99 at TJ Maxx! I didn't want to remove the cellophane because it was a birthday gift for my daughter.

I also found a little tea pot lamp for myself at TJ Maxx ($9.99!)

Will go great with all my blue and white porcelain.

In addition to other things going on, (voting, world series, birthdays, as so forth) I'm rushing to get a couple of orders on my glitter tip book wreaths finished.

She wants 2 of these with silver glitter tips

and 3 kissing balls in silver.

so I have been punching hundreds of pages and glittering the tips and these are where ever I can find a place for them to dry..

Plus I'm working on a non-punch out design. This one will be huge (about 21")...

so my patio looks like this...

and I have glitter EVERY WHERE!

and I still need to get these listed on etsy! I need more hours in the day! ha! I'll be around as soon as I get caught up!

Thanks so much for coming by! You're a darling!

I'm linking up with these fabulous hosts!

Cheers!

LOADS OF PROJECTS! SILVER LEAF PUMPKIN, HALLOWEEN WREATH, GLITTERED BOOK PAGE WREATH AND HOLIDAY KISSING BALL OH MY!

2010-10-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!! So great so see you! Love your costume! ha! just kidding!!!

Just wanted to put up a quick post to show you Tween Hearts fabulous Halloween projects and share with you a couple of holiday projects I finished last night and this morning. So lots of photos and little jabbering ha!

I took Tween Heart to Michaels and this is what she picked out (no coaxing from me...really!)

And she created this gorgeous Halloween wreath...

She also silver leafed a faux pumpkin....

Tween Heart behind the sceens getting ready for the big reveal! ha!

Voila!....

Here she is with her personal stylist (my beautiful daughter)

She wanted to add some festive trimmings to her silver leaf pumpkin...

She is so much fun and isn't intimitated by anything (she has 3 brothers ha!). Tween Heart has my heart!

Now for my project update

Book wreath with red glitter tips ~ bit cloudy here this morning, so I tried a couple of different settings on my little camera.

This one took just over 150. The red glitter is a very Christmasy red, unfortunately it shows as a deep red. Oh well *sigh*

Remember this tease?

It has been transformed to this....

I made this kissing ball using a 4" round styro form and it took just over 50 of the 3.5" scalloped punouts, and is about 7" in diameter.

I am thrilled with all three! I need to stage them a bit for the etsy photos, so it will be a few days before I can post them.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope you and your loved ones have a safe and fun Halloween!

Cheers!

BOOGEYMAN IS IN THE KITCHEN ~ OR ~ A FRACTURED FAIRY TALE

2010-10-30T00:27:00.000-07:00

With all the fabulous Halloween decorations and wot-nots running rampid across the blogosphere, I feel the need to....contribute.

My Halloween offering is a true story about a "Boogeyman" followed by a couple of fabulous halloween creations by my darling grand-niece Tween Heart.

Note To all you fly by viewers : please feel free to speed right on to the photos and thanks ever so much for stopping by! *waving*

For those of you easily amused and enjoyed Rocky and Bullwinkle back in the day, please do read on.

BOOGEYMAN IS IN THE KITCHEN
...OR...

As adults, we know that certain fairytales are instrumental in teaching children certain morals and sensibilities; such as Hansel and Gretel. These fables are part of many parents' arsenal and are very helpful when applied....correctly.

When Monkey Head Fred (my son) was four years old, he had been throwing hissy fits over bedtime. "I'm not sleeping!" "I don't want to go to bed!" He wanted to stay up for as long as he wanted and fought like the dickens to do so. It was bloody hell!

Desperate to ease my this nightly trauma and with the best intentions, I decided it was time to reach into my arsenal and play the "fable" card. I told him a story about a Boogeyman who came out at night searching for little children who were still up after 8p.m. When he found one, the Boogeyman would snatched them up and put them to work in his dark, damp, dirty mine. It was full of bats and rats and spiders; a totally icky place!

I know, I know, bad, bad mommy!. In my defense, I did add that the children were returned to their mommies...eventually. ha!

Well, that evening when bedtime was announced, as expected, he promptly performed his usual tantrum. At first I gave him a friendly reminder about the Boogeyman. When he balked at me, I stepped into the hallway out of his sight, banged on the closet door, and with some urgency in my voice, I called out "OMG, it's the Boogeyman! He must have seen you through the window! Hurry! Hurry! get into bed!"

I had never seen his little feet move so fast! He flew up the stairs, brushed his teeth, jammies on, and was in bed before you could say boo! He was even yelling for ME to hurry upstairs and kiss him goodnight! lol! Shortly after that first (faithful) night, just the mere hint of the Boogeyman would send him running to bed.

It was total bliss!

My little fable worked so well I decided a tantrum free zone was worth risking possible therapy in his adult life. ha!

Besides, when he discoveres there is no Santa, the upside will be that there is no Boogeyman either. Win win...yes? lol!

A few months later, after Monkey Head Fred was all tucked in bed sound asleep, I realized I forgot to tell him that his uncle, whom he's never seen before, was coming for a visit. I figured since my brother wasn't arriving until late that evening and considering how my brother was far from an early riser, I could tell my son at breakfast. No problemo...yes?

Ummm nooooo! The next morning I was abruptly awaken by a very loud shrieeeeeeeek of sheer terror that seem to be coming from downstairs. In the same instance as I was jumping out of bed to see what happend my son came flying into the bedroom, slamming the bedroom door shut and *BAMMMMM*! he flew onto me with such momentum he knocked me back down onto the bed!

Still on top of me, he was clinging to me like velcro, pointing at the door and screaming incoherently. At this point I thought a spider, perhaps a mouse (we've had spiders, no mice, but you never know). I couldn't figure out the source of his unusual hysterics.

When I said, "Let mommy go look", he became more hysterical shrieking "NOOOOO mommy, NOOOOOO, he'll get you too!" "Who? Who will get me?" I asked. "BOOGEYMAN!" he wailed "BOOGEYMAN IS IN THE KITCHEN!"!

"What???!" was my first reactions....then I realized that my usually late sleeper of a brother, who, btw stands 6'5" and was a then 300lbs, must have gotten up early, went down to the kitchen to hunt for breakfast and was discovered by my Monkey Head Fred!

To a little guy standing at only about 3' tall, that is one towering man! Having never seen him before, Monkey Head Fred jumped to the only natural conclusion as to whom that tower was...yep, the Boogeyman.

It took several minutes to finally peel him off me, calm him down, and convince him that it was not the Boogeyman but in fact his uncle! It was even harder to explain to my brother that I absolutely did NOT describe him to as an oger to my son.

Needless to say, my brother was furious at me...foreva!

The upside, my son was absolutely thrilled to have a "giant" for an uncle, showing him off to all his friends and making sure to introduce his Uncle to the neighborhood bullies! ha!

Moral of the Story

just when you're flying through life like Rocky, you will inevitably crash and burn like Bullwinkle...
or
...when you are certain you've got it all figured, life is more than happy to show you the loopholes.

The End

BTW, as you can see there aren't any Halloween craft photos in this post; I was just messin with the fly by viewers ha! Wanted to give them their Halloween trick!

Tween heart is featured in my next post! See you soon! Thanks so much for
dropping by!

Cheers!

MY SPIN ON A BOOK WREATH

2010-10-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ellooooooo! So sweet of you to stop by! I hope all is happy and well in your world!

I'm sure you've seen the book wreaths that have been making the rounds here in our blogosphere. Well, I've finally gotten around to making one myself; but, with my own little spin on it ha!

BUT FIRST! let me preface that my photos are horrid! My terrible indoor light and my poor little camera was a bad bad combination. So why post? I dunno...ha!

Ok, here's the best photo I could get so far.

A close up

a futile attempt to show you the UNBELIEVABLE sparkle (with a blurred photo)

I even attempted a video to show how stunning it is...sad to say it failed miserable.

Ok, enough of my pity party. ha!

For those of you who want the nitty gritty behind the scenes stuff; read on!

I used a 10-in green styro wreath form and covered it with book pages

Ripped out tons of book pages (a romance novel from GW for $2.39)

Next, I got my handy dandy MARVY 3.5" scalloped punch

punched out loads of these

Glittered up their scallopy edges (first dipping the edges in glue and rolled them in fine German Glass Glitter glass).

WE INTERRUPT OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED QUICKIE TUTORIAL FOR THE FOLLOWING CONFESSION:

I was so anxious to see how the glittered book florettes would look I totally cheated, but just a wee bit...

Ha!

Ok, where was I?! oh yeah...

Here they are are drying and I'm waiting...waiting...waiting

waiting...

Once they were dry I folded (without creasing them) then and glued them on the wreath form with my trusty glue gun.

Originally I made 150 glittered edged book page florettes. Oddly enough...I didn't have enough. This is as far as I got

So I glittered up another 130 florette edges and called it a night.

Next morning, it took another 50 to finish the wreath.

Not counting breaks and drying time (oh and the burnt finger tips ha!) it took about 8 hours to complete. BUT, it truly is dazzling and therefore so worth it! I will be making one with red glittery tips, one with gold tips and green! Should be on my etsy in a few days.

So what might I be doing with the remaining 80 florettes you ask. Well, I did cover up this 3.5" styro ball with some pages...

If you are thinking ornament...ummm not this time. But here's a clue: pucker up baby! sookie sookie! ha!

I will be posting a more thorough tutorial in the very near future. I just need someone to take the picture of how I folded each florette.

I'm hooking up with these fabulous hosts!

Be sure to check out the other participants!

Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for visiting! See you soon!

Cheers!

PINK SATURDAY ~ PRETTY IN PINK TASSLE AND PRETTY ROSES!

2010-10-15T21:52:00.001-07:00

Greetings and Happy Pink Saturday Pinkettes!! Thank you so much to our fabulous Beverly ofHow Sweet the Sound. If you haven't already, do stop by Beverly's blog and say hello. Get comfy, grab a cuppa and enjoy all the fabulous pinks the other wonderful and clever participants have posted.

My beautiful and fablulous daughter birthday was this past Thursday so I wanted to share her beautiful roses and a little gift I made for her, hope you don't mind!

I made (and sold) this pretty tassle a while back.....

Isn't she darling...yes?! She's got the prettiest little wings and such a sweet face....

Well, I find out from my darling daughter that she was very sad to see her go! My daughter really wanted her. Fortunately, I had just one more pretty little angel in my stash and made this one for her....

A bit different, but still adoreable...yes?!

Here are the pretty roses she received...

these pretty pale pinks are from her brother...

and these from her fabulous hubs....

I sooooo heart roses and hydrangeas, don't you?!! So pretty!

Now, I just want to share another find at Home Goods! When I saw these I literally squeeled out loud! haha!

We all know the camera isn't always accurate...the true color isn't lite blue but light aqua blue with pink roses; my absolute fav!

Sure makes washing dishes a much more pleasurable chore!

Ok, I'm going to scoot now. I want to view the other fabulous participants and their post for Beverly's Pink Saturday! You are more than welcome to join us!

Thanks so much for visiting me today!

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and fun weekend!

Cheers!

ANOTHER SILVER LEAF PROJECT ~ GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS!

2010-10-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi you! I hope all is well with your world! So sweet of you to see what I've been up to.

I'm still on my silver/silver leaf craze! Want to see my most recent transformation? Well, get cozy and read on then! ;)

When I was at Home Goods, I spied this piece....

Great antlers, love the form but the gaudy gold made him look so dated and I moved on.

A few isles later a vision suddenly *popped* in my head. Oh joy oh joy! Transformation time! I turned around post-haste and snatched him up!

When I got him home I gave him a coat of Kilz primer in white, let it dry and sanded down some rought spots and splatters (got a bad nozzle on this can! Don't you absolutely HATE that?!....grrrrrrrr!)

I though he looked rather nice all white with some "antiquing" and almost stopped there. But decided to press on with my original vision.

Here is his finished coat in Heirloom White.

Once he was dry, I applied Mona Lisa Silver Leaf....

I KNOW you are thinking...."she's going to cover him in silver leaf"

Sorry, no ha! Gotcha! haha! Just want his antlers to stand out!

Once the sizing was dry, I cleaned off the excess and VOILA! here he is in all his silver leaf'ed glory....

You'll have to wait until Christmas to see him in his holiday vignette.

I think he looks very cool; simple, sleek and sophisticated, don't you?

I've been thinking about giving him a red nose for a bit of whimsy, but not sure if that would be totally chic or totally corny ha! Guess we'll have to wait until I decorate for the holidays to find out! heehee!

I hope you enjoyed your visit! Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be out and about to see your latest!

Wishing you and yours much love and happiness!

I'm hooking up with these fabulous hosts! Pop over and have a look at the other very clever bloggers!

Cheers!

WOOD FRAME MAKEOVERS ~ SILVER LEAF, RUB N BUFF, SILVER SPRAY PAINT

2010-09-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

Hello! So lovely of you stop by! So glad you decided to visit with me! Are you ready for fall?! Moi, not really. We've been enjoying a lovely Indian Summer here in the SF Peninsula. I've been fluttering about seeing all the wonderful project you've been working on! Fabulous!

What have I been up to? Well, I've been working on a number of smaller projects over the past month, from sparkly hearts and wreaths to redoing my wood frames. It's the frames we are going to talk about today.

A few months back I posted that I wanted to redo my living room. I am so over the gaudy gold. I know, I know, some of you out there love it; and I've loved it too....but I am so over it and so into the beauty of silver.

Click here to view the original post of the redo plans (it will open in new window so you won't lose this page).

I did a mixture of things, I applied silver leaf to one, Rub n Buff on another and spray painted the rest with metallic silver spray paint.

The Before

The After

So much fresher, yes?!

This frame I applied Mona Lisa Silver Leaf....

Before

After

I used Rub n Buff Silver Leaf on this frame....

Before

After

I used Rust O'leum Speciality Metallic in Silver on these frames....

Before...

After

Before

After

Mirror before

Mirror after (the detail really pops!)

No before on this one

not bad, but after seeing it next to the silver leaf frame, I'm thinking I need to silver leaf it! ha!

While I was at it, I also sprayed my buffet lamps...

Of course I forgot the before, but they were like this...

PREP WORK:

Prep work was fairly simple. For the spray painting, I covered the face with painters tape and cleaned dirt/dust off the frames and sprayed away!

(that round mirror was spray painted white, more on "it" in future post!)

The silver leafing prep was to clean the frame, apply the sizing, apply the silver leaf sheets, then apply a brush on sealer.

On the Rub n Buff the only prep was cleaning the dust/dirt before applying, then after I sealed it with a paint on sealer that I also use for the silver leaf frame.

In my next post I'll show you a transformation that I'm so thrilled with! I know, I'm a tease! ha!

I'll be around stalking your latest!

Wishing you and yours much love and happiness!

This post linked with the follow fabulous hosts:

My Romantic Home ~ Show n Tell

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating ~ Flaunt It Friday

Life in the Fun Lane ~ Fresh Coat Fridays

Metamorphosis Mondays at Between Naps On The Porch

Cheers!

PINK SATURDAY! MY HEART OF HEARTS!

2010-08-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Greeting Pinkettes and Happy Pink Saturday!! Huggies to the fabulous Beverly of How Sweet the Sound for hosting this fabulous event!

My great niece, who is in her tweens, was visiting last weekend. When I showed her my recent projects....

the finished

and "wip" (for the pinkettes!)

She was thrilled and wanted to make one too. She picked out her ribbon and I wrapped the styro heart for her; showed her how to use the low temp glue gun and gave her a tray of supplies. (did you see that tween's mommy...I said LOW temp glue gun!)

She worked on it during her down time on Saturday and this is how I found her Sunday morning....

me: Whatcha up to my little tween-heart?

her: I'm working on my project, trying to finish it before I go home. I don't think I can finish it though *sighing* after she smiled for the camera ha!

me: How much more is there left to do?

her: Well, I've got all of the front done.....

....and I've started on the back, but the inside still needs to be done.

me: Wow, you've got quite a bit done. It is looking so beautiful!

her: yes, I know, but I what am I going to do? I can't finish it since I have to leave soon; and, I can't finish it at home because my mom won't like me using the glue gun with my little brothers getting into everything.

me: no worries darling. Tell you what, you come pose with what you have so far, and I'll finish it for you.

her: ok!

me: hold it up so everyone can see how beautifully it is coming along. Give a sweet smile for all the wonderful bloggers!

her: ok!

her: Will they really look at my project.

me: Yes indeed.

her: how will you know?

me: because when they have time, they will leave a comment.

her: really?! Can I see their comments?!

me: I'll let your mommy know when I post this and she can pull it up on the computer. May not be until next week.

her (jumping and *squeeling*): Woohoo! I can't wait! I hope they think it is beautiful!

her: don't forget to take pictures so everyone can see it finished, ok!?

me: I promise! Now go get ready.

She's such a darling! She is every bit her mommie when she was her age; beautiful, sweet, bright, mischievious, caring...she makes my heart smile, just as her mommy does!

As promised, here is her finished rhinestone heart.

Maybe on her next visit I'll show her how to mosaic a birdhouse or strip and paint a table ha! (just kidding tween-heart's mommy!! lol!)

Thank you in advance to those of you who took a moment to leave a comment for my darling tween-heart!

Have a lovely pinkie weekend!

Cheers!

I'm linking up with the faublous Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound

ANTIQUE FAIR @ CANDLESTICK PARK PART TWO

2010-07-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed part 1 and you are ready for antique hunting at Candlestick Park of San Francisco, part deux!

Before we begin, grab a cuppa and put your feet up cuz we've got lots to look at!

let's focus on some fabulous furniture mixed in with a small dash of this and that...

love this little aqua chest, someone snatched this right up! ha!

and this little aqua end table for $65.00

charming child's wicker chair in aqua for $60.00

the mate to the little aqua table

great green table ($250.00), perfect for a small cottage kitchen..

another fabulous piece, $375.00

was so tempted to get these euro pillows (sorry no price)...

but found this fabulous (wood) mirror, talked her down from $35.00 to $20.00

she also had this charming yellow trash can for $40.00

I also loved these large finials in fabulous aqua, $80.00 each

and these smaller aqua frence post tops for $5.00 each

some great picnic baskets ranging from $20.00 up to $60.00

this piece got loads of attention, but at $795.00 no takers

me likey this mirror... there's me and my SF canvas bag i've had for ages! ha!

Love this stainless steel front on the chest of drawers, notice the casters!

he also made these, and there are heavy duty casters on the islands....

as well as these large mirrors....

and this fabulous vanity...

now, aside from the LeeJofa linen fabric and the aqua botanicals I showed you in part 1, my other huge regret was this....

a fabulous buy at $160 for an Ethan Allen corner cubboard. I'm still drooling! ha!

charming french inspired pieces; I think the dresser was $475.00...

love this hutch, sorry didn't get price...

this buffett/dresser was $285.00

this one was a better price @ $125 for both dresser & mirror!

how charming is this piece!? Never got a price on it, vendor was busy making a sale elsewhere ha!

great pillow, love the barrell chairs

some canvas pillows (this one was my favorite)

Great chairs, the seats could have used more padding ($60.00 each)...

love this antique cubboard door with cherub, the perfect french blue

great piece, love the mirror ($450.00)

aren't these chairs fabulous?! asking $65.00 each

fabulous rustic chest of drawers, in case you hadn't noticed, rustic is the big trend for the upcoming fall/winter...

$175.00

love the robin's egg blue on this rustic piece, would look so charming filled with cottage blooms! Think it was around $300.00 +/-

love the bench ($250.00)

this will add such charm to any cottage garden! You can give the little kiddies a ride ha!

this was fashioned from old barn boards...

a coat of aqua paint would charm this right up!

I so heart this white bird sanctuary $150.00, (was about 50" high), big mason jar next to it as well for $75.00

Charming shabby chic birdcage with hp roses ($80.00)...

I didn't grab these because his price was a bit steep @ $15.00 for the little pint size jars...

one vendor had these large flower market vases for $45.00 each

another vendor had these large french flower market vases for $29.00 each..

this was a beautiful set...

$785 for just the chairs

dunno how much they wanted for the table

this set was $2700 (table with 1 leaf and 6 chairs)

the tapestry upholstery was crazy gorgeous

Great long bench! $300+

fabulous pillows, $65.00 each

Some of you may remember my lucky procelain elephant that I found 20 years ago. A great price then too, 75% off so I paid around $50.00.

Now I ask you, why in the world did they paint this black then expect someone to pay $300+ for this!?

Ok, moving on here lol!

Isn't this little white poodle so cute?!

And here is a charmer for the pinkettes!

kind wished I could have bought it, something so whimsical about that pink poodle! ha!

some french signs sorry no prices, but love the colors!

some lovely ladies (sorry, no prices)....

fabulous blue dish and this red pitcher!

forgot to check the prices but they were 50% off...

this came from a mora tall clock...

$350.00

pretty in pink and cherubs mantel clock at $95.00 (fully functional)

how cute is this aqua baby scale!?

Interesting hutch, perfect for a tuscan kitchen ($1400)

Love this horsey! Out of my price range @ $400.00

No antique hunt would be complete without a pair of foo dogs; and you know how much I love me some foo doggies! These were the ONLY pair there, a good size...and still over my price range at $400.00.

These were very colorful, but I have my heart set on a pair of all white ones

Before I go, I have to share a bit of this vendor with you. If you are into vintage jewelry, this lady had such an amazing collection!

Her prices started at $5.00 for bangles on up to $500.00 for necklace/earring sets! Check this out!

just stacks upon stacks of boxes filled with vintage pretties!

she was definitely the queen of bling! ha!

Well, that's all folks! Thanks so much for coming along! I so love your visits and hope you had a fun time!

Have a safe and lovely weekend!

Cheers!

LET'S GO SHOPPING AT THE FIRST ANTIQUE FAIR AT CANDLESTICK PARK PART I OF II

2010-07-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Greeting Bloggerettes! So happy to see you! Are you ready to go (antique) hunting with me?! Grab your cuppa, put your feet up and let's have some fun!

I did split this into two parts. There was so much to see. So let's begin part I.

Of course, what a better backdrop could there be than this for any fair...

such a sweet welcome...

There was definitely something for everyone at the antique fair today!

First up, remember the barnyard animal sculptures from the Alameda Fair? ha!

This time he had rams and sheep but hadn't gotten around to making more goats...ha!

This just made me LOL!

How about some chandys! This seashell chandy was very pretty and fairly pricey (about $1800)...

Here is another one, same price. Very pretty in real life, looks kinda funky just laying there like that...

This vendor had quite a few sparklers.

I fell in deep affection with this one ha!

$500.00 and worth every penny. She did a beautiful job restoring it and added some unique crystals.

This next one they wanted $375.00 I've got a thing for wrought iron or wood chandies lately....

This one was very pretty, around $400.00 I think

These lamps were fabulous!

I wish I would have at least picked up the cranberry one...things you regret ha!

Love these lantern! around $60.00 for each.

This ornate trio in blue and white was selling for about $2500 for the set of candleabras, not sure what they wanted for the clock.

The little dragon on the top of the clock..so fierce! ha!

This would be more in my budget ha!

Lots of brass and silver and china..oh my ;)

This one was stunning and so ornate! Around $600.00

a close up of the spout

Love this set, about $60-$65 each

These are very trendy right now, prices have shot up so fast! This one was for $125.00 It was about 12" high. Vendor said she brought it from France.

Then there was this one for $20.00...

These large bottles are also very trendy...

These are also from France

around $300 something each

as well as these watering cans...

charming wood decoy for $45.00

These were around $60.00

Something else I wish I would have bought, they were very charming $40 for the pair!

lots of wire baskets, cloches, and what nots...

killer wire basket with tin insert

the rolling pins were $12 each, love the green weathered basket they were in

and this aqua wooden bucket

love this tete-a-tete

Charming soda shop chairs

I was crazy for this wooden arched gate! $160.00

These bottle carriers/trays were very popular (and over priced). I've seen these recently for $5.00 each, now $65 & up. (promise I won't get on my soap box about "trendy" stuff) but serious!

Vendor said his wife brought this back from Germany...

he wanted $175 for it, despite the obvious needed repairs

Some fabulous fabrics and quilts....

this one would be adorable for a cowboy theme room

along with the great colors in this quilt

this one was very pretty, she wanted $80.00

I loved this blue and white quilt

but the repair work was beyond my skill level....(loved the aqua wicker chairs though ha!)

I'm so seriously kicking myself over not buying this one....

so stunning! was marked down 50% off from $38.00 per yard and all she had left was 5.5 yards

(kick kick kick!)

these were so cheery

loved these too

In a sea of brass and glass....

was this pair

the other thing I'm still bummed over was this pair of prints

the aqua background was so pretty! they were $22.00 each, when I went back why was I surprised they were gone gone gone! me stooooopid! ha!

this oil was beautiful, $500.00

I so wanted this one ($65.00), and once again, went back and gone in less than 20 minutes..crikey!

loved this water color, artist was from New England ($125.00) the water damage on the mat and frame gave me 2nd thoughts

$40.00

gotta love the chicken n roosters! $200.00

Great rustic frame and colors in the painting $40.00 this was about 36 x 24

talked her down to $25.00 so I bought it ha!

this was too cute $50.00 (the one behind it was pink)

smaller oil for $35.00

larger oil for $90.00

this one was very romantic, $175.00

these were $65 each

colors were so rich in this large oil $350.00

$45.00, again, very beautiful blend of colors

these prints were fabulous ..."I am the very model of a modern major general" ... ha! $25 each.

this piece of printed burlap was $15.00

fabulous box; I think it was $50 something

When I asked the guy how much for this ornate brass frame he responded with "$1,000.00", so I replied with..."will you take $5.00?" ha! (he wanted $100.00) nuff said ;)

this handpainted toleware was gorgeous $165.00

love this toleware tray with stand $60.00

So well take a break right here and for my next post I'll have lots of furnishings and some serious bling collection to show you!

Thanks so much for joining me today for part I! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Don't forget to check back for part II!

Cheers!

A BIRDHOUSE SOME PAINT AND A TRANSFORMATION!

2010-07-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

What is it about birdhouses that are just so bloody charming?! I cannot resist one ever! I have so many! Several are a pending project; some to paint, some to mosaic. I got out my paint and paintbrushes and made a bit of progress. Wanna seeeeeee? ha!

I couldn't resist using my beautiful hydrangea as a backdrop!

so lovely even though the blooms are fading!

Now, the before is all white. I know...I know, I agree, it's darling the way it is....

But, paint is only paint. If I hate it, I can repaint..yes?!

Before I show you the after:

think beachy victorian cottage
think tin roof

(that was my inspiration)

tah dah!

I so love the results. I used Gliddon true turquoise then white washed it. The roof is Rub n Buff Silver Leaf (to mimic the tin roof)

after a little distressing here it is with it's roof glowing in the sunshine, no photos were touched up!

isn't that just lovely?!

Now for those of you who love the white, don't despair, I'm a huge fan of white birdhouses as well....sooooo *giggle*

I have a couple more lol!
Theses birdhouses are about 16" tall (not counting the 3" chimney), 10.25" wide and 7" deep not including the base. So the overall (base to tip of chimney is 11.5" wide x 7 3/8" deep x 19" high.

The aqua birdhouse will be available for $155.00 (including packing, shipping and insurance)

I did get one prepped for a mosaic project, this one is fairly large too (17" x 8" x 8")....

with the other birdhouses...

these are the plates I'm going to use....

They will be nipped up because they are not useable as they are...

There is another birdhouse that is another favorite....wait, who am I kidding, they are all my favorites! ha! This one has been outdoors for ages and I think it's time to bring it in for some repairs...

It's been up on this tree

BTW, Candlestick park had it's first antique and collectable fair today. I went and yeppers my dear I had a full battery in my camera! ha! I ended up with over 300 photos! I cannot wait to show you some of the amazing items I came across. So don't wander away too far. Come back soon and go to the Candlestick Park Antique Fair with me!

Thanks so much for spending some time with me! Let me know what you think of my turquoise birdhouse and it's faux tin roof..ok!? You're a darling!

Cheers!

ALAMEDA POINT ANTIQUES FAIR ~ MY FABULOUS FINDS

2010-07-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

I am still so bummed that my battery died when I was at Alameda! So many fabulous things I couldn't take photos of! I did manage to find some reasonably priced finds that (naturally) made their way home with me!

Let's start with a bit of silver shall we?!

Stamped Onida ss over brass $25.00.

It was already polished for me ha! Love the pretty rim and handles...

Then I found this pretty little vase $5.00...

and this fabulous hurricane lamp with pewter base and rim

takes pillar and tapers

I didn't have a pillar, but here it is with a taper

Couple of pretty aqua/turquoise Ball Mason Jars (no lids) $5.00

This fabulous candelabra (I so luv little birdies on just about anything!)

I luv luv LUV this little basket with silver rim & handle! $8.00

Now, do you know what this is? ;)

Looks like really cool wall art....yes? Ha!

It needs a little work

and I tried to talk him down

more than he was willing to go...

$20.00

have you figured it out yet?

Ahhh ya smarty pants...it's a ....

laundry basket!

it's missing the wheels and some clamps, but I so heart it!

So there you have it! Thanks so much for visiting me today! Ohhhhh btw, I went to Salvation Army the other day...they had a 50% off everything...I'll post my finds in a couple of days. Some really fab things!

Cheers!